Police: Shopper shoots at fleeing Walmart shoplifting suspect's car

Published: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 1:37 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 10:21 p.m.

A Deltona man shopping at a Walmart was arrested for shooting a shoplifter's car Wednesday, saying he wanted to mark the vehicle so police could find it, police said.

Jose Manuel Martinez, 35, was charged with aggravated assault and shooting into an occupied vehicle, said Orange City police Cmdr. Jason Sampsell.

About 12:37 p.m., the suspected shoplifter, Eddie Mckee, 42, of DeLand, started stacking steaks and ribs into a shopping cart at Walmart, 2400 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Orange City. He then tried to leave the store without paying for more than $200 worth of meats, Sampsell said.

When a Walmart loss prevention officer tried to stop McKee, the suspect abandoned his shopping cart and ran out of the store, pushing down a woman on his way out, Sampsell said.

"As Eddie Mckee was running out of the store being chased, Jose Manuel Martinez also chased after him," Sampsell said.

Martinez said he didn't know why McKee was being chased but he joined in. And when he could not stop Mckee who entered his car to get away, Martinez pulled out his 9 mm handgun, Sampsell said.

"He fired at the car a minimum of four times," Sampsell said. "He said he didn't want to kill the suspected shoplifter but wanted to mark the car for police."

Martinez, who has a concealed weapons license, was not justified opening fire in a busy shopping parking lot in the middle of the day, Sampsell said.

"His life was not in immediate danger so he was not in fear for his life nor was he trying to defend someone else whose life is being threatened," Sampsell said. "There was no justification for the shooting."

No one was injured by the gunfire, Sampsell said.

Martinez complained that he was injured but after he was taken to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City, it was discovered he was complaining about an old injury and he did not suffer it during Wednesday's incident.

Martinez claimed he aggravated the old injury by running after Mckee, Sampsell said.

Mckee, who said he wanted the meat to feed his family, was charged with retail theft, Sampsell said.

Martinez and Mckee were booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail and were being held Wednesday night with bail set at $7,000 and $1,000, respectively, a booking officer said.

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